GOSPEL IDENTITY

The motivation for our vision, and how we structure and form all we do derives from the gospel as our foundation. We must get the flow right. We first start with God, who has most clearly and powerfully revealed himself in Jesus Christ (Gospel). From Jesus only, we rightly learn who we are, both, as individuals and as a community (Identity). Knowing who Jesus is, and who we are in light of Him, we then know how we ought to live.

GOSPEL: POWER + PURPOSE

The Gospel is the good news that God sent his Son to redeem the world from the effects of sin and create a new humanity. Eventually the whole world will be renewed to the way God originally created it. Rebellion, death, decay, injustice, and suffering will all be removed. When everything is restored, God will be seen by all for who he truly is—he will be glorified. (Ephesians 2:10,14-22; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Revelation 21)

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL TO SAVE

Jesus helped clarify how we accomplish the purpose of the gospel by giving us his mission: “Go and make disciples”. (Matthew 28:19). As the arts, industry, politics, families—all areas of culture—are being filled with Jesus’ disciples bringing about his gospel restoration, the earth is being filled with his glory! That is the point of the restoration of all things—that God would be glorified!

The gospel is not just about my individual happiness or God’s plan for my life. It is about God’s plan for the world.

Statement of Faith

Soma Theological Distinctives

1.0 Gospel-Centered Theology

God is the initiator of Salvation and Jesus is the Hero. God doesn’t respond to us – we respond to God’s initiative and calling. He saves and secures us for salvation and we respond only because of and by his grace. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Spirit are the center and fulfillment of our faith. It is through him, because of him and in him that we come to be God’s people, are transformed and have hope for final restoration.

2.0 Charismatic Pneumatology

We believe the Holy Spirit is alive and active in regeneration, empowerment and ongoing filling for the purposes of God in this world. We believe all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available today, but not one of them in particular is required to give evidence of the baptism or filling of the Spirit.

3.0 Already-Not-Yet Eschatology

We believe the Kingdom of God was inaugurated in Jesus’ first coming and will be consummated in his second coming. We live in the in between where we can experience the reign of Jesus while longing for its completion as we also experience the reality that things are not yet fully as they will be within the new heaven and new earth. We acknowledge the variety of views within inaugurated eschatology and allow for this variety within our family.

4.0 Missional Ecclesiology

We believe the church is the family of God sent by the Spirit to make disciples of Jesus to all nations throughout the world. We are saved by God’s power for God’s purposes to bring him glory in all things wherever we are. The church is always being sent by God to accomplish his mission.

5.0 Gospel Communities on Mission as Prime Organizing Structure

We believe the most irreducible and effective structure for making disciples as the church is a Gospel Community on Mission (GCM)—aka Missional Community (MC). This is a smaller group of people who gather regularly and engage in everyday life on mission throughout the week with a commitment to reaching a particular people and place together with the goal of making disciples and multiplying and sending more GCMs.

6.0 Ordered Equality in Shared Ministry

We are complementarians in that we believe men and women are created in the image of God equally, yet with distinct roles in the family and church. Men and women are called to use their gifts fully in the ministry of the church under the leadership of biblically qualified male elders (plural). In the marriage relationship husbands and wives are called to display the Gospel story of Christ laying down his life for his bride the church and the church respectfully submitting to Christ. As such, husbands are called to sacrificially love their wives as the head of their home, while the wife is called to respectfully submit to her husband.